Australian Economic Review最新文献

{"title":"Great (Retirement) Expectations: A Review of Retirement Income Policy and Changes to Expected and Preferred Retirement Age of Australian Workers","authors":"Paul Gerrans,&nbsp;Ingebjorg Kristoffersen,&nbsp;Joanne K. Earl","doi":"10.1111/1467-8462.70040","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8462.70040","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Research Question/Issue</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Retirement age expectations and preferences are shaped by individual, social, and government policy influences. Our paper reviews major policy changes in the Australian Retirement Income System over the past two decades and documents changes in Australian workers' expected and preferred retirement age.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Research Findings/Insights</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We identify three key results. First, workers prefer to retire earlier than they expect to, on average. Second, both expected and preferred retirement age increased through the 2000s and 2010s but stalled from 2017. Third, a significant proportion of workers do not know when they expect to retire.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Practitioner/Policy Implications</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In the absence of the ability to set a mandatory retirement age, a key objective of retirement policy has been to raise retirement age. Our results suggest that while workers' expectations and preferences reflect this, they have stalled somewhat. Further, a small but persistent proportion of workers do not form expectations which, given its importance in successful workforce exit plans and retirement wellbeing, presents a key challenge.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods Used</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We describe changes in policy over the past two decades before describing patterns and dynamics in retirement age expectations and preferences of workers aged 45–60, 2003–2023 using the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46348,"journal":{"name":"Australian Economic Review","volume":"59 2","pages":"127-144"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1467-8462.70040","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148153235","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Did Subsidised Dental Care Improve Access? An Evaluation of the Chronic Disease Dental Scheme Among Australian Women With Chronic Conditions","authors":"Siobhan Dickinson,&nbsp;Maryam Naghsh-Nejad,&nbsp;Kees Van Gool,&nbsp;Jane Hall","doi":"10.1111/1467-8462.70058","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8462.70058","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Research Question/Issue</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study examines the impact of the Chronic Disease Dental Scheme (CDDS), introduced in 2007 to provide subsidised dental care for people with chronic conditions. Specifically, it asks whether the CDDS improved access to dental care among eligible women and what characteristics were associated with receiving higher rebates.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Research Findings/Insights</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The analysis finds no statistically significant increase in dental visits among eligible women compared to ineligible women, despite the substantial fiscal outlay of the scheme. However, CDDS rebates were more likely to benefit women experiencing financial stress, those holding concession cards and those reporting poorer dental health. Conversely, women living in regional or remote areas received substantially lower rebate, underscoring persistent geographical inequities in access.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Practitioner/Policy Implications</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The CDDS did not increase dental access overall but did provide financial relief to some disadvantaged groups, suggesting partial success in targeting need. Future dental policy must carefully weigh costs against outcomes and address equity challenges, particularly for rural and remote populations where service provision is limited.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods Used</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The study employs a difference-in-differences approach using panel data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (1946–51 cohort) and linked Medicare claims, alongside a Heckman selection model. The analysis is causal in design with complementary descriptive insights.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46348,"journal":{"name":"Australian Economic Review","volume":"59 2","pages":"190-207"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1467-8462.70058","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148153201","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Evolution of Innovation Network in the United States","authors":"Sasan Bakhtiari","doi":"10.1111/1467-8462.70039","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8462.70039","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Dense networks of collaboration improve the rate and novelty of innovations. I use US patents to construct the network and examine its evolution, connecting the changes to particular theoretical predictions and policies.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Research Findings</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The network starts as sparse and only develops a dense giant component after policy change. Federally funded labs are pivotal and become the most central. Most recently, the growth of network has been attributed to universities with an added emphasis on commercialization. Government and universities have also been the most central to certain technologies, though their portfolio of technologies expands over time.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Policy Implications</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Public institutes, that is, universities and government research centers, play an integral role in the formation and cohesion of the network. Expanding their role as collaborator is as important as measures such as R&amp;D tax incentives in spurring basic innovation.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methodology</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The analysis uses network statistics alongside network regressions to generate insights about the topology and evolution of the network.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46348,"journal":{"name":"Australian Economic Review","volume":"59 1","pages":"84-101"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147565228","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Price Transparency in Specialist Markets","authors":"Susan J. Méndez,&nbsp;Jongsay Yong,&nbsp;Anthony Scott,&nbsp;Khic-Houy Prang,&nbsp;Adam G. Elshaug","doi":"10.1111/1467-8462.70051","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8462.70051","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The market for non-GP specialist services in Australia is characterised by widely dispersed fees and out- of- pocket costs, creating uncertainty about the price patients will have to pay. This is primarily driven by doctor-level variation in pricing rather than patient characteristics, clinical risk or quality, which reflects a referral-based market with severe information asymmetry and weak price competition. A response to help patients navigate this system has been the promotion of fee transparency websites. While this is a welcome step to empower patients, evidence suggests such tools have limited impact and may increase prices in concentrated markets. We argue that to improve transparency tools, risk-adjusted information on expected costs and quality indicators must be provided and this information should be targeted at the referee, often the general practitioner.</p>","PeriodicalId":46348,"journal":{"name":"Australian Economic Review","volume":"59 1","pages":"119-122"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1467-8462.70051","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147562587","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Time-Varying Anchoring of Inflation Expectations in Australia","authors":"Thuy Hang Duong","doi":"10.1111/1467-8462.70020","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8462.70020","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This paper examines the anchoring of inflation expectations in Australia, an important indicator of the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) credibility in the public's eyes regarding its inflation mandate. Rather than treating anchoring as a binary state, the study examines its evolution over time. The positive responsiveness of long-term expectations held by union officials and bond investors to actual inflation suggests that the RBA is midway towards completely anchoring public expectations. Estimates from the time-varying VAR model with stochastic volatility indicate a gradual strengthening of anchoring since 1996, reflecting growing credibility under inflation targeting. These findings highlight the importance of continued credibility gains to strengthen the expectations channel.</p>","PeriodicalId":46348,"journal":{"name":"Australian Economic Review","volume":"59 1","pages":"59-74"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1467-8462.70020","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147568367","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Driving Productivity Growth","authors":"Andrew Barker,&nbsp;Bruce Chapman,&nbsp;Peter Dawkins,&nbsp;Michael Fotheringham,&nbsp;Elizabeth Webster","doi":"10.1111/1467-8462.70041","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8462.70041","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This article presents a summary of the main ideas for improving productivity from nine prominent Australian economists.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Aims</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>These ideas covered the need to reduce redundant regulations, smooth demand for power, reform incentives for skill acquisition, regulate AI, enhance competition, invest in place-based innovation ecosystems and encourage employers to make jobs more family friendly.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Materials and Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The content of this article draws on the research and policy backgrounds of nine prominent Australian social scientists.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results and Discussion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>A selection of overlooked policy priorities are canvassed.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>During each term of office, governments have limited resources to implement change and should develop priorities based on objective evidence on the best value for the Australian people.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46348,"journal":{"name":"Australian Economic Review","volume":"59 1","pages":"16-19"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1467-8462.70041","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147569510","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Specialist Affordability and Access for People With Disability","authors":"James Taylor,&nbsp;Karinna Saxby,&nbsp;Jodie Bailie,&nbsp;Samia Badji,&nbsp;Gozde Aydin,&nbsp;Ryan Liang,&nbsp;Dennis Petrie","doi":"10.1111/1467-8462.70043","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8462.70043","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Introduction</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Equitable access to care is a core principle of Medicare and Australia's broader health policy frameworks, yet access to specialist care remains marked by persistent inequities. People with disability experience longer waits, face greater affordability pressures due to lower incomes and encounter greater administrative burden. These disparities undermine progress towards Australia's commitments to equitable and accessible healthcare set out in national and international policy agreements. Addressing them requires understanding the structural barriers that shape specialist access.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This article synthesises evidence on inequities in specialist access and fees for people with disability and identifies policy settings that shape these outcomes. It draws on existing literature, policy documents, and emerging evidence from linked administrative data, including the Person Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Results</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Key barriers include the geographic distribution of specialists, wide variation in out-of-pocket fees, fragmented referral pathways and limited care coordination, which may contribute to delayed or foregone care. These inequities are exacerbated by gaps in monitoring healthcare system performance. Australia has no system for tracking specialist wait times, limiting policymakers’ ability to identify disparities. Advances in linked administrative data, particularly PLIDA, provide a foundation for improved monitoring.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Conclusion</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Improved wait time monitoring, greater fee transparency, targeted incentives for equitable care and strengthened navigation support are needed to improve access to specialist care for people with disability.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46348,"journal":{"name":"Australian Economic Review","volume":"59 1","pages":"109-113"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1467-8462.70043","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147569313","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Australian Economy in 2025–26: Domestic Challenges in an Uncertain International Policy Environment","authors":"Matthew Greenwood-Nimmo,&nbsp;Viet Hoang Nguyen,&nbsp;Tim Robinson,&nbsp;Sarantis Tsiaplias","doi":"10.1111/1467-8462.70049","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8462.70049","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Australian economy grew at a moderate pace in 2024–2025. Monetary policy gradually eased through 2025, with three rate cuts bringing the cash rate down to 3.6%. The labour market has softened further from its post-pandemic state, but a resurgence of inflation in recent months places further monetary easing in doubt. Weak productivity growth remains a major domestic policy challenge. Geopolitical tensions, volatile tariff policies and the prospect of a stock market correction regarding the AI boom are downside risks heading into 2025/2026.</p>","PeriodicalId":46348,"journal":{"name":"Australian Economic Review","volume":"59 1","pages":"5-15"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1467-8462.70049","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147562586","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Australia's Specialist Fee Failure: Three Principles for a Way Forward","authors":"Yuting Zhang,&nbsp;Stephen Duckett,&nbsp;Charles Kemp","doi":"10.1111/1467-8462.70045","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8462.70045","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Background</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Setting Medicare Schedule Fees for specialist services in Australia is a pressing challenge. As specialist charges increasingly exceed government rebates, rising out-of-pocket costs threaten the core objective of universal health care.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Objective</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>To define a fair fee structure that balances equitable compensation for highly trained professionals with affordable access for patients. To ensure that this balance is guided by three principles: sustainability (reflecting training and resource costs), quality (incentivizing high-quality care) and accessibility (remains affordable and accessible for all patients).</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Methods</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This analysis evaluates the current system against three guiding principles: sustainability, quality and accessibility. We present criteria for assessing how well each principle is satisfied and discuss what specialist fees might look like if Australia followed each principle.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Findings</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Australia's current system fails to meet all three principles.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 \u0000 <section>\u0000 \u0000 <h3> Recommendations</h3>\u0000 \u0000 <p>We propose a three-pillar reform strategy:</p>\u0000 \u0000 <p>1. <i>Regulated pricing</i>: Set fair Medicare Schedule Fees and limit rebates to specialists who adhere to these fee standards.</p>\u0000 \u0000 <p>2. <i>Transparency</i>: Mandate public reporting of specialists’ fees, quality indicators and waiting times.</p>\u0000 \u0000 <p>3. <i>Increase public capacity</i>: Expand public sector capacity and general practitioner support to reduce reliance on private specialist care.</p>\u0000 </section>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":46348,"journal":{"name":"Australian Economic Review","volume":"59 1","pages":"114-118"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1467-8462.70045","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147569314","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Affordable Specialist Care","authors":"Susan J. Méndez,&nbsp;Jongsay Yong","doi":"10.1111/1467-8462.70048","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8462.70048","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This policy forum brings together four evidence-based opinion articles that examine specialist affordability and access from contemporary and complementary perspectives. The authors argue that current policy settings fail to deliver coherent financial signals to patients and providers, inadequately protect vulnerable populations and fall short of addressing the structural drivers of fee growth and access inequities.</p>","PeriodicalId":46348,"journal":{"name":"Australian Economic Review","volume":"59 1","pages":"102-104"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/1467-8462.70048","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147569701","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"经济学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}